Synagogue

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Synagogue
This is the Congregation Beth Zion synagogue in
Cote St. Luc, Quebec. As with many synagogues,
not only does it house the large sacred space of
worship, it also has a smaller space of worship,
a large and beautiful dining room for receptions,
and a Jewish daycare.
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Star of David
The Magen David, or the Shield of David, also
called the Star of David, became a symbol of the
Jewish faith during the middle ages. David is the
King David described in the Hebrew Scriptures.
In the story, he was just a boy when he used a
slingshot to kill a giant, a large man named
Goliath. He grew up to be a famous king, built a
palace, and wrote many prayerful poems called
Psalms. The six-pointed star is made of two
intersecting triangles. Various interpretations
of its symbolism have been given. Some say the
six sides symbolize the universality of God.
Others say that they represent north, south,
east, west, the land above and the world below.
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Doors with symbols of the Jewish Faith
These beautiful stained glass doors are found at
the Congregation Shaare Zion in Cote St. Luc,
Quebec. The Scrolls contain the sacred writings
of the Sefer Torah on which are written the five
books of Moses. The Stone Tablets of the Ten
Commandments were given by G-d to Moses at Mount
Sinai after the Hebrew (Jewish) people had fled
their slavery in Egypt.
A Menorah is a candle holder with three candles
on each side representing the six days of the
week. The one in the middle represents the
Sabbath. Magen David is the six-sided Star of
David (King David of the Hebrew
Scriptures). Rams Horn is used to call the
people to come together for instruction or
prayer. It is blown at Rosh Hashanah the
Jewish New Year. Cabbalah Cup is used on the
Sabbath to drink wine.
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Woolen Hanging Depicting Important Episodes in
Jewish History

• The Rams Horn used to call the people
  together.
• The Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount
  Sinai
• The Burning Bush on Mount Sinai indicating the
  presence of G-d
• The crown of the Kings Saul, David, Solomon
• The Scrolls of the Torah the five first books
  of the Hebrew Scriptures Genesis, Exodus,
  Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
• A Prayer Shawl placed over the shoulders of a
  man in prayer
• A Menorah seven branched candle holder, one lit
  each day of the week. The center one is lit on
  the Sabbath.

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Jewish Symbols in Stained Glass
From left to right, you can observe the rams
horn, Mount Sinai, the flames of the burning
bush, the cloud at the top of Mount Sinai, and
the hand of G-d presenting the Ten Commandments
all significant in the story of Moses freeing the
people from slavery in Egypt as described in the
book of Exodus.
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Tablets of the Ten Commandments
These two tablets covered in Hebrew script
represent the two tablets that G-d gave to Moses
on Mount Sinai - on which were written the Ten
Commandments (also called the Decalogue of Love,
for they tell people how to live their
relationships well with God and others). 1. I
am the Lord your G-d. You shall have no other
gods beside me. 2. Do not make false images of
G-d 3. Do not take the name of the Lord in
vain. (swearing or cursing) 4. Remember the
Sabbath day and keep it holy. 5. Honour your
father and your mother. 6. Do not commit
murder. 7. Do not cheat on your marriage
partner. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not tell lies
about other people (in court). 10. Do not desire
(covet) things that belong to others. The first
three relate directly to G-d, and the rest
concern the duties of the people to live well in
community.
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The Rams Horn
The Rams horn is blown to gather the people
together to pray or to receive guidance. The horn
is blown with joy and gusto at Rosh Hashanah
the Jewish New Year. It is made from a horn of a
ram that has been sanded and polished until it
glows.
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Mezuzah
The Mezuzah is a cylindrical shaped container
placed on the right doorpost of Jewish places of
work, homes, and synagogues. Written by hand, it
contains words of the Great Commandment - the
Shema from Deuteronomy 6 4- 9. When a Jewish
person enters a building, they touch their lips
and then the mezuzah. This action expresses their
love of G-d, and their willingness to live by
these words.
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Tefellin
The tefellin, also called phylacteries, are small
leather boxes worn during prayer. They contain
small handwritten parchment scrolls on which is
written the Shema and other significant verses
from the Torah. The Shema is Hear, O Israel
The Lord is our G-d, the Lord is one. And you
shall love the Lord thy G-d with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your might. And
these words which I command you this day shall be
upon your heart, and you shall teach them
diligently unto your children and you shall say
them over to them whether at rest or walking
about, lying down or at rising you shall fasten
them on your hand as a sign and on your forehead
as a circlet you shall write them on the
doorposts and on your gate . The first is tied
high on a persons left arm facing the heart to
remind the wearer that his emotions should be
directed towards G-d. The second is placed high
on a persons forehead and reminds the owner to
keep his mind and thoughts focused on G-d and his
teachings. Each boy, aged 13, receives his
tefellin at his Bar Mitzvah.
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Interior of a Synagogue Bimah at the Front
This is the front of the Shaare Zion Synagogue.
On the left is the podium where the cantor
stands to chant the prayers. On the right side
of the stage is Bimah - the podium from where the
Rabbi (leader, teacher) reads the Torah. The Ark
which holds the scrolls of the Torah is in the
center. There are two Menorah (seven branched
candlesticks) one on each side of the
Ark. Above the Ark are two lions (representing
Israel and Judah) that stand on guard before the
tablets of the Ten Commandments given by G-d to
Moses.
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Interior of Congregation Beth Zion Bimah and
Ark
Here it is easy to see the Bimah in the center
aisle, and the Ark that is on the stage. The
curtain hiding the sacred scrolls of the Ark has
a symbolic design of the tree of life. The
Menorah with its three plus three plus one candle
is plainly visible on the left side of the Ark,
and a Hanukkea with four candles on each side
of a center candle is on the right side of the
Ark. A Menorah is used weekly thus the seven
candles whereas a Hanukkea is used at Hanukkah
to celebrate the miracle that one days worth of
oil continued to burn for eight days. Note that
this is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, so the
women sit above in the balcony.
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Beth Zion Open Ark, the scrolls in their
mantles, and the stained glass above the fire
and the Ten Commandments

• The Torah scrolls in their mantle coverings can
  be seen in the open Ark.
• The flames depicted in the stained glass that
  rises above the Ark depict
• The flames of the burning bush out of which G-d
  spoke to Moses. So too does G-d speak now
  through the words of the Torah.
• The fire atop Mount Sinai when Moses went to
  speak with G-d, and G-d gave Moses the Ten
  Commandments.
• At the top of the initial flame the flame
  continues between bricks as though through a
  chimney one of the chimneys of the gas chambers
  of the Holocaust.
• The words of the Ten Commandments swirl in the
  top flame.

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The Stained Glass above the Ark
This picture of the flames above the Ark in the
synagogue of Beth Zion has been taken from a
dramatic angle.
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The Open Ark The Sefer Torah scrolls in their
Mantles
Each Ark contains several Torah Scrolls that the
congregation has collected from various places in
the world. Some might be very old, or some may
have come from a far away land brought by one of
the families. They are all reverenced as
writings of G-d. Here the scrolls are covered by
their mantles, and topped by silver caps that
have silver bells. The mantles remind the people
of the clothes of the ancient Rabbis (teachers
and leaders). The bells on the caps are like
the bells that adorned the bottom of the Rabbis
cloaks, which announced their arrival as they
approached. The breast plates are reminiscent of
the breast plates that soldiers wear into war.
While these breastplates are merely decorative,
they remind the people that the word of G-d is a
protection and following it ensures a good life
in the world.
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Open Sefer Torah Scroll with Yad
A Yad is a pointer. It is usually made of
silver, and has a small hand with a pointing
finger at the end. It is used to help a reader
keep his place and to prevent the reader from
touching and spoiling the sheepskin of the
scroll. A scroll is written in Hebrew, and read
from back to front. Every letter is printed by
hand with special ink. Every scroll must be
identical, so it takes at least a year and a half
to complete one scroll. Sefer means that these
are scrolls that are read on Sabbath or on high
holidays. The Torah refers to the five books of
the Law Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy.
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The Kippah
Here you see a Jewish man wearing a Kippah, which
is sometimes called a yarmulke or a capel. A man
wears a Kippah to remind them of the constant
presence and care of G-d. The Kippah may be worn
at any time, but it is always worn at synagogue
or in prayer. Usually black or white, it may be
any colour and made of any material. Jewish
women do not wear Kippahs. At synagogue some
women may wear lace coverings on their heads.
Women in the Hasidic branch of Judaism wear wigs.
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Jewish Man with a Prayer
Shawl or Tallith
This is Mr. Sheldon Weinstein, the Executive
Director of the Beth Zion Congregation, who so
willingly let me take his picture in a prayer
shawl. A shawl may be any colour. The important
feature is the tassel or tzizit on each corner.
These corner tassels have a total of 613 knots
which are the number of laws in the Torah. When a
man puts on his Tallith, he says special prayers,
and then feels wrapped and ready to be totally
immersed in his devotions.
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Memorial to the Six Million Jews killed in the
Holocaust
Most synagogues have a memorial to the Six
Million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust
during the Second World War. Canada has 32
million citizens. Six million is almost one
fifth of our whole population. It numbers almost
the whole population of the province of
Quebec. Six million is hard to imagine. Yet
these were real people, most of them women and
children.
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Holocaust Memorial with Train Tracks
This memorial of the Holocaust that is outside
synagogue Beth Zion not only has train tracks
etched into its surface leading to the various
camps where the six million Jews were gassed it
contains the ashes of several Jews who died in
the Holocaust.